The present invention relates to a methodology for building a learning organization using knowledge management in an iterative process of creating, updating and utilizing a knowledge database.
Organizational learning can be defined as the development of xe2x80x9cnew knowledgexe2x80x9d or insights that have the potential to influence all elements of an organization (e.g., business, school, firm, virtually any xe2x80x9corganizedxe2x80x9d structure that creates and utilizes information), from the individual to the organization as a whole. Knowledge management can be defined as the processing (i.e., acquisition, learning and application) of information to benefit an organization. More than just receiving and acting on information, knowledge management assumes what is gathered and learned is communicated to others. All organizations are exposed to information; it is the organization""s ability to facilitate the reception, processing, storing and distributing of knowledge that provides a competitive advantage.
Organizational learning is one particular xe2x80x9cknowledge managementxe2x80x9d opportunity. Some learning is always a product of the interaction between new knowledge and the organization. In general, some organizations will be better at capturing, utilizing or benefiting from the xe2x80x9cknowledge opportunitiesxe2x80x9d than others. Information (i.e., potential knowledge) is shaped by the organization""s culture. A culture can be defined in terms of internal structure, policies, routines, xe2x80x9cability to learnxe2x80x9d, sense of urgency, xe2x80x9clearning stylesxe2x80x9d, and can include external factors such as time constraints, partnerships, competitors, or new employees. Importantly, organization learning is also shaped by the quantity and quality of its existing knowledge.
New knowledge or information enters the existing organization either by plan or by accident. New knowledge may be the result of interaction with others (for example, contractors, joint venture participants), research, new technologies, or some combination of these channels.
In general, xe2x80x9cknowledge managementxe2x80x9d is the process of putting information to work; to use knowledge management to improve the organization""s profitability, productivity, quality and new processes (improved competitiveness), as well as to be better prepared to handle future knowledge opportunities when then come along.
Information can be both expensive and difficult for an organization to manage. In day-to-day activities important information can be overlooked, insufficient information can result in missed opportunities or incomplete information can lead to decisions based on incomplete or questionable assumptions. Costs associated with successful knowledge management have their benefits. The process of knowledge creation leads to an increase in the organization""s intellectual assets. Sadly, however, current practices in most organization""s means that such knowledge is often left in the head of the creator where it cannot be easily shared or, worse, is easily lost. Interest in capturing this important strategic resource has added importance to the study of xe2x80x9cknowledge management.xe2x80x9d
Various tools are being developed to aid in the process of building a knowledge management system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,445 issued to K. Shibao et al. on Oct. 11, 1994 discloses a knowledge-based management system and method for managing a knowledge based system which includes a primary data storage section for storing received primary data. A change registration section records and indicates if and when the primary data have been changed. A data conversion section converts the primary data into secondary data that is compatible with the knowledge base system. This system also contains a secondary data storage section which stores the secondary data, and a reasoning calculation section to access the secondary data based on a received retrieval inquiry. A knowledge management section also controls the conversion section. Specifically, the knowledge management section controls the conversion section in order to convert the primary data corresponding to the secondary data that will be accessed by the reasoning calculating section, when the recorded change data indicates that the primary data corresponding to the second data to be accessed by the reasoning calculating section have been changed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,072 issued to C. Havens on Jul. 13, 1999, discloses a knowledge management system which receives submitted knowledge items, maintains and provides access to the knowledge items, updates knowledge items as appropriate, prompts for and receives feedback relating to knowledge items, monitors various activity concerning knowledge items, and generates a variety of incentives to encourage desirable activities associated with knowledge items. A value may be determined for a knowledge item in accordance with a quantitative or qualitative evaluation of the usefulness, influence, or other impact of the knowledge item on the ability of users to perform their specified functions within an organization. U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,989 issued to D. Biggs on May 18, 1999 discloses a knowledge manager that relies on a hierarchical default expert system. This system includes a class hierarchical data base which may be appended without effecting the class hierarchy and which will address appended matter first (to supersede any previous knowledge in the class hierarchy data base of the system). In addition, the system""s parameters of assets are appended to the system and are instantiated into objects that are then treated with an object-oriented paradigm. Thus, specific assets that are found throughout a plant may be defined as objects. These objects may be appended to the system without the proprietary information which they contain being disclosed to unauthorized personnel without them overriding, adding or deleting information to the class hierarchical database.
In each illustration of prior art discussed, the validity of knowledge data is not questioned. Thus, situations may arise where the retrieved data is incomplete or, worse, incorrect.
The need remaining in the prior art is addressed by the present invention, which relates to a methodology for building a learning organization using knowledge management in an iterative process of creating, updating and utilizing a knowledge database.
In accordance with the present invention, considerable time and effort is first spent building the knowledge data base based on a logical methodology and using teams of experts in each field to study, analyze and provide editorial comment to data entered in the data base. The data base model is structured to correspond to the archetypal stages, events or processes that shape the beginning and terminal activities associated with the organized complexity of business processes. Moreover, since the general patterns and functions that define these activities are the same from culture to culture the model is designed for application across situations, conditions or locations. Further, during each step of the process of using the database, an individual may pass through a series of evaluation steps to audit each particular step in the process. Further, the process is not considered as being a xe2x80x9cstraight linexe2x80x9d, or circular process that has an initial step and a final conclusion. Rather, the process is considered to be a xe2x80x9cspiralxe2x80x9d type of iterative process that is descriptive rather than prescriptive, that may be entered at any step, and the audit results of each step used to improve that step for the next user. In short, the database allows the user to move among elements of a cross-referenced but disintegrated grid structured to reflect the database subject. The system""s goal is to facilitate the user""s self-organizing responses to situations, regardless of the user""s needs and competencies at different points in time or the issue at hand (from routine to complex). A general set of xe2x80x9cbest known methodxe2x80x9d audits appear at a concluding step to document the effort for historical, to maximize future, related knowledge management applications or, simply, to be used to re-work the process in general.